Electric aircraft offer significant environmental benefits compared to their fossil fuel-powered counterparts. A study conducted by researchers at Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden highlighted several key advantages:

Reduced Climate Impact:

After about 1,000 flight hours, electric aircraft begin to show a lower climate impact than fossil fuel aircraft, assuming the use of green energy. The benefits continue to accumulate over the aircraft's lifetime, estimated to be at least 4,000 hours.

Lower Environmental Impact:

Small electric aircraft can have up to 60% less climate and environmental impact than equivalent fossil-fueled aircraft. This includes reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, particulate matter formation, acidification, and ground-level ozone formation.

Trade-off in Mineral Resource Scarcity:

While electric aircraft demonstrate major environmental benefits, there is a trade-off in terms of increased mineral resource scarcity. This is mainly due to the rare metals required for batteries. However, advancements in battery technology, such as the development of lithium-sulfur batteries, could mitigate these effects and further improve the environmental performance of electric aircraft.

These findings underline the potential of electric aircraft to significantly reduce the aviation sector's environmental footprint, especially for short-distance flights such as fjord-hopping in Norway. However, the successful realization of these benefits largely depends on ongoing advancements in battery technology and using renewable energy sources for electricity.